Shoulder Blade Pain – A Pain In the Neck!
The shoulder blade or the scapula is the flat bone that connects the upper arm to the collar bone. It’s a very active bone, being connected to the arms which are responsible for accomplishing all that we do. And being connected to it, the scapula can be exposed to a lot of heavy jobs as well which may result in a lot of intense pain. Shoulder blade pain is seldom serious but can be debilitating sometimes. Pain in the shoulder blade is also the effect of diseases that affects other organs of the body. We’ll discuss some of them later.
How does Shoulder blade pain feel?
Pain in the shoulder blade can be localized or it may affect the upper arms and the collar bones as well; they’re interconnected with each other. What ails the collarbone and upper arms may also affect the shoulder blade. The pain is usually dull in nature and may radiate all the way to the upper back and lower arms. There’s a heavy feeling and sometimes a sharp stabbing sensation that is associated with Shoulder blade pain.
Shoulder blade anatomical picture
The scapula is found in the posterior part of the shoulder assembly. It connects the humeral or upper arm bone to the collar or clavicle bone. The shoulder blade is also made more durable by the presence of several muscles covering it. The muscles are composed of the subscapularis muscle, the infraspinatous muscle, the supraspinatous muscle and the teres minor. These muscles also help the shoulder blade carry out its various functions. Any injuries in the muscle, which we’ll discuss later, will also contribute to pain in the shoulder blade.
Factors that may bring pain in the shoulder blade
- Scapula fracture is common in athletes and body builders but a rare occurrence in the general population.
- Subscapularis muscle strain.
- Injured muscles, tendons and ligaments.
- Tumors
- Water retention or bursitis.
- Heart attack
- Gallstones
- Breast Cancer
What are the signs attributed to Shoulder blade pain?
- Scapular fracture can be really painful. It is a common source of pain in left shoulder blade.
Subscapularis muscle injury is another pain in left shoulder blade.
- Breasts cancer is known to cause pain in right shoulder blade along with liver abscess and gallstones
- Torn ligaments and pulled muscles are common pain under the shoulder blade.
- Tumors on the left shoulder blade and arthritis in the same area may cause left shoulder blade pain. The same things happening on the right shoulder blade will also cause right shoulder blade pain.
- Frozen shoulder and heart attacks may bring pain under left shoulder blade.
- Arthritis, liver disease, and breast cancer can cause pain under right shoulder blade.
The disease that brings pain in the shoulder blade is not limited to one area. What causes the pain in right side may also cause the same pain to be felt on the left; and any part of the shoulder blade for that matter.
Common home remedies to help ease Shoulder blade pain.
- Use of shoulder sling.
- Bandage wrap.
- Hot compress
- Taking over-the-counter pain killer medicines.
- Controlled shoulder rotation exercise.
- Swimming
- Muscle stretching
- Applying liniments to the affected area
Remember to seek your doctors’ advice before doing anything.
